An Old Man and a Young Boy

circa 1480

Why is it canonical?

Portraiture played a growing role in art and painting, and well known for his work was Domenico Ghirlandaio, a contemporary of Sandro Botticelli and similarly patronized by Lorenzo Medici. This portrait displays significant Northern European influence, most notably in the background landscape. But the subject matter and very human moment captured here shattered precedent, showing ordinary people in moments of great sincerity.